Living in these parts of London is cheaper than moving to the commuter belt

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Living in Stratford might be cheaper than moving to a commuter town (Source: Getty)

Emma Haslett

Moving out of the capital into the green hills of Surrey might be a rite of passage for many Londoners, but it turns out if you want to save money, it might be cheaper to stay put.

Analysis of house and commute prices in some of the capital's most popular commuter towns has suggested staying in some zone three locations could save people more than £11,000.

Taking into account stamp duty, legal fees, removal fees and rail fares, moving to Sevenoaks will cost an average £28,647 a year over a 25-year mortgage. Meanwhile, the annual cost of mortgages and rail fares for those living in Upton Park is £17,326: an £11,321-a-year difference.

The figure is similar for many of the capital's most popular commuter towns: living in Woking, in Surrey, costs commuters £28,107, while life in St Albans costs £27,741.

Meanwhile, living and commuting from Tottenham costs £22,522, while Stratford costs £22,522.

Housebuilding investment platform Homegrown, which analysed the data, said the housing crisis had pushed up the cost of living in the commuter belt.

"Moving out of London used to be the obvious choice for those facing an affordability crunch but you can no longer assume you’re going to save money, even in inner London," said Anthony Rushworth, its founder.

"Prices have risen so far and so fast outside the capital that, unbelievably, families can now save money staying put in one of the most expensive cities in the world."